Apparatus for feeding intermediate pallets



Oct. 11, 1966 J. MILLER 3,278,047

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING INTERMEDIATE PALLETS Filed June 16, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIIE //V VE N T0 1 John Mil/er y 9 La/:15

A TTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1966 J. MILLER APPARATUS FOR FEEDING INTERMEDIATE PALLETS Filed June l6, 1961 4 SheetsSheet 4 INVENTOI? John Mil/er by W i 6% ATTOR/VE Y8 United States Patent 3,278,047 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING INTERMEDIATE PALLETS John Miller, Cambria Heights, N.Y., assignor to The F. 8: Mi. Schaefer Brewing Company, Brooklyn, N.Y. Filed June 16, 1961, Ser. No. 117,721 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-6) This invention relates to an automatic or semi-automatic keg palletizing machine particularly adapted for stacking barrels or kegs into unit loads which may then be delivered to a desired location. The invention is particularly directed to feeding the intermediate pallets used in such a device.

The present invention is an improvement upon the intermediate pallet feeding means disclosed in patent application Serial No. 498,646, filed April 1, 1955, now Patent No. 3,022,617, entitled Conveyor Keg Palletizing Device, by applicants John Miller and Vincent J. Russoman.

An object of the present invention is to provide a more efficient and improved construction for the feeding of the intermediate pallets so that the operation thereof is reliable and efficient.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for feeding the intermediate pallets upon the palletized load with less liability of damage to such pallets.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction for feeding intermediate pallets wherein such pallets are moved along rectilineal paths wherein a special raising arrangement for the pallets is provided in order to raise them to the required height for positioning upon the palletized load.

With the above and other objects in view a preferred construction of the improved intermediate pallet feeding apparatus is shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the intermediate pallet feeding apparatus showing its relation to the palletizing station and the feeding means for the kegs arriving from the filling room.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 22 of FIGURE 1 with parts omitted.

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 with the operating parts in a different position.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 5-5 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing particularly the sensing device.

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view of the conveyor leading from the intermediate pallet magazine illustrating the stop means for halting the feed of the intermediate pallets until forward movement thereof is in proper sequence.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the controls which are actuated by the carriages for the intermediate pallets, and

FIGURE 9 is a partial elevational view taken upon section line 9-9 of FIGURE 8.

The intermediate pallet 12 as shown in FIGURE 7 is fed from its magazine, not shown, by the conveyor chains 11 in the direction of the arrow to the intermediate pallet tranfer station indicated generally at 14. The conveyor 11 extends horizontally and when it arrives at the transfer station such intermediate pallet 12 must be raised to the position shown in FIGURE 1 and then transferred by a mechanism which will be described below at right angles to the palletizing station indicated generally at 15.

The palletizing station 15 comprises the lift 16 with its ice appropriate mechanism. In FIGURE 1 a base pallet 9 which has been brought from the base ballet magazine by the conveyor 90 is shown in raised position at the palletizing station and the kegs 8, usually four in number, will be fed by the carriage 7 actuated by the cylinder and piston rod assembly 6 into position upon such base pallet 9. When the kegs have been positioned upon the base pallet 9, the lift 16 is then lowered to the proper position by appropriate controls for the feeding of the intermediate pallet 12 on top of such kegs in order to receive another complement of kegs. If only a two-tier palletized load is desired the palletized load is then complete and may be automatically removed but if a three tier palletized load is required then another intermediate pallet 12 will be fed into proper sequence upon the second tier of kegs in order to receive the third tier of kegs. Ordinarily a three-tier palletized unit is suflicient but it is obvious that as many tiers as may be desired may be provided by arranging the proper sequence of controls as disclosed in the abovementioned application.

In the travel of the intermediate pallet from its magazine to the transfer station 14 there is provided as shown in FIGURE 7 a stop piston 64. movable in. the cylinder 63 designed to restrain any further travel of the pallet 12 to the transfer station 14 until the proper sequence of operations is in order. At the transfer station the intermediate pallet 12 will contact the back stop 21 which throws a switch to set in motion the elevating mechanism now to be described.

The elevating mechanism to carry the intermediate pallet from the position where it arrives at the transfer station as shown in FIGURE 5 at the lower portion thereof comprises the rectangular frame member provided with rollers 71 running in the vertical tracks 72. Fixed at each side of the frame member 70 is an elevating arm 73 preferably of angle iron. The angle arms 73 extend as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. Triangular bracing elements 74 are provided for the arms. Fixed to the top bar of the frame 70 is a piston rod movable within the cylinder 60 fixed to the frame 78. The cylinder 60 is provided with inlet and outlet valves 76 and 77 which are connected by appropriate conduits to the main hydraulic line and provided With appropriate controls so that in proper sequence the elevator arms 73 will be moved to their upward position and then lowered to receive another intermediate pallet arriving on the chain conveyors 11 from the intermediate pallet magazine when released by the stop piston 64.

When the elevator arms 73 have raised the pallet 12 to its upper position the claws 79 are swung from the dotted line position to the full line position in FIGURE 5 in order to grasp the pallet 12 and move it at right angles to its former movement and place the same upon the kegs in position upon the main lift 16. The claws 79 are pivotally mounted upon the rods 23 which in turn are fixed to a carriage 22, The claws 79 are operated in synchronism by the piston rods 25 which are pivotally connected to an intermediate point upon a rod 81 which is in turn connected to the claws 79 at each side of the pallet as shown in FIGURE 6. The piston rods 25 are actuated by pistons in the cylinders 27 which are pneumatically operated from the main air line through the conduits 28 and 29 by appropriate controls.

The carriage 22 travels within the tracks provided in the carriage 24 by means of rollers 31 provided upon each side of the carriage 22. The carriage 24 in turn is provided with rollers 32 which run within the tracks 26 fixed to the frame '78. At each side of the carriage 22 there is fixed to the upper surface thereof a. rack 35 and directly above the same upon the frame 78 there are positioned similar racks 36. A gear wheel 37 is fixed to each side of a rod 38 which meshes with the racks 35' and 36.

The rod or shaft 38 is rotatably mounted in the trunnions 39 which are secured fixedly to the upper surface of the carriage 24. A cylinder 40 is fixed to the frame 78 in any desired manner and a piston rod 41 reciprocates in said cylinder. The piston rod 41 is connected at 82 to approximately the mid point of the forward wall 83 of the carriage 24.

The cylinder 40 has connected to it at one end a flexible conduit 43 and at the other end a flexible conduit 44 which are connected by appropriate control valves to the main air line, not shown, so that the movement of the carriage 22 is properly synchronized with the other elements for movement to a position above a tier of kegs upon the main lift.

By a predetermined throw of the piston rod 41 there will be a travel of the carriage 22 carrying an intermediate pallet which will be equal to approximately double such throw as shown particularly in FIGURE 3. FIG- URE 2 shows the intermediate pallet when clasped by the claws 79 and FIGURE 3 illustrates the position of carriage 22 when properly located above the tier of kegs upon the main lift 16 and ready to be released for receiving in turn another tier of kegs.

In FIGURE 1 two switches 84 and 85 are shown which will be actuated by the kegs 8 and moved to closed position when the kegs are in position upon the base pallet 9. Since there are four kegs which will be positioned upon the base pallet 9 there are four switches for contacting such four kegs, similar to the switches 84 and 85. In FIGURE 6, a sensing switch 86 is shown contacting the intermediate pallet which must be in closed position as well as the four switches similar to switches 84 and 85 which indicate that the kegs are in position before piston rod 41 will be actuated by pneumatic pressure from the conduit 43 to move carriages 24 and 22 outwardly to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

When the carriage 24 strikes the two switches 87 and 88 mounted upon the frame 78 shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, switch 87 will open the fingers or claws 79 to release the intermediate pallet and the other switch 88 will initiate a reversal of feed to the cylinder 40 so that air will now be supplied through the conduit 44 and the carriage 22 and 24 withdrawn to initial position. As the carriages move back the claws 79 remain open. Upon the carriage 24 there is also provided a cam element 50 which will operate the switch 51 to close the jaws or claws 79 about an intermediate pallet which has in the meantime been raised into position by the elevator arms 73.

In FIGURE 7 two intermediate pallets 12 are shown wherein one is being held against the action of the conveyor chain by a stop piston 64. When an intermediate pallet such as the one in FIGURE 7 at the right strikes the back stop 21 a switch is operated to set in motion the operation of piston rod 75 to move the elevator arms 73 upwardly to thereby position an intermediate pallet inposition for being gripped by the claws 79. As the elevator arms 73 move upwardly a switch 61 as shown in FIG- URE is operated which will reverse the feed of fluid to the cylinder 60 so that the elevator arms will return downwardly. This will trip a switch 62 as shown in FIG- URE 7 and this will actuate the piston rod 64 in the cylinder 63 shown in FIGURE 7 so as to withdraw the stop piston 64 and allow the next intermediate pallet to move forwardly to the transfer station. The cyclical operation is then repeated so as to feed intermediate pallets to the transfer station, move them at right angles upwardly and then again move them at right angles to such upward movement to position them over a tier of kegs in position upon the main lift 16.

The operation of the transfer mechanism for the intermediate pallets is eflicient and trouble free.

As a general rule the switches used provide for a slight time delay before initiating action.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the apparatus hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

1. A transfer mechanism for pallets in an apparatus for palletizing barrels, kegs and the like in unit loads comprising a transfer station, means for feeding an individual pallet to said station, a pair of spaced parallel arms located below said individual palet upon arrival at said station, a frame to which said arms are fixed, a piston connected to said frame, a cylinder, in which said piston reciprocates, means for actuating said piston to raise said arms and said individual pallet a predetermined distance, means for moving said individual pallet from said raised position to a position over a palletizing staton, means for releasing said pallet upon a palletized load at said palletizing station and means for synchronizing the movements of said various means.

2. A transfer mechanism for pallets in an apparatus for palletizing barrels, kegs and the like in unit loads comprising a transfer sation, means for feeding an individual pallet to said station, means for vertically raising an individual pallet after arrival at said station a predetermined distance in one continuous movement, a first carriage, pivotally mounted claws upon said carriage, means for operating said claws to grasp a pallet when in raised position, a second carriage in which said first carriage slides, a gear and rack assembly cooperating with said first carriage, means for reciprocating said second carriage and means for pivoting said claws to release said pallet upon a palletized load at a palletizing station.

3. A transfer mechanism for pallets in an apparatus for palletizing barrels, kegs and the like in unit loads comprising a transfer station, means for feeding an individual pallet to said station, means for vertically raising an individual pallet upon arrival at said station a predetermined distance, a first carriage, gripping means upon said carriage, a second carriage in which said first carriage is movable, fixed tracks in Which said second carriage is movable, a rack fixed to said first carriage, a fixed rack, a gear wheel rotatably mounted upon said second carriage interposed between said racks, means for actuating said gear wheel by moving said second carriage to thereby give substantially an increased movement to said first carriage, and means for gripping a pallet when in raised position by said gripping means to thereby move said pallet to a position over a palletizing station.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,196,159 8/1916 Schmitt 74-109 1,456,292 5/1923 Amberg 27184 1,980,850 11/1934 Clark.

2,924,051 2/ 1960 More 2146.2 2,946,465 7/1960 Raynor.

3,105,599 10/1963 Hausermann 21410.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 829,795 3/1960 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. MORRIS TEMIN, HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiners.

D. MARTENS, M. WOLSON, A. GRANT, J. OLDS,

Assistant Examiners. 

3. A TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR PALLETS IN AN APPARATUS FOR PALLETIZING BARRELS, KEGS AND THE LIKE IN UNIT LOADS COMPRISING A TRANSFER STATION, MEANS FOR FEEDING AN INDIVIDUAL PALLET TO SAID STATION, MEANS FOR VERTICALLY RAISING AN INDIVIDUAL PALLET UPON ARRIVAL AT SAID STATION A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, A FIRST CARRIAGE, GRIPPING MEANS UPON SAID CARRIAGE, A SECOND CARRIAGE IN WHICH SAID FIRST CARRIAGE IS MOVABLE FIXED TRACKS IN WHICH SAID SECOND CARRIAGE IS MOVABLE, A RACK FIXED TO SAID FIRST CARRIAGE, A FIXED TRACK A GEAR WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID SECOND CARRIAGE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID RACKS, MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID GEAR WHEEL BY MOVING SAID SECOND CARRIAGE TO THEREBY GIVE SUBSTANTIALLY AN INCREASED MOVEMENT TO SAID FIRST CARRIAGE, AND MEANS FOR GRIPPING A PALLET WHEN IN RAISED POSITION BY SAID GRIPPING MEANS TO THEREBY MOVE SAID PALLET TO A POSITION OVER A PALLETIZING STATION. 